How good of a fit will your head of finance be?

One way to tell is to ask this question, "What Do You Like to Do?"

That gives you a very good clue about how he will operate. While in the short term he may be able to change his style, eventually, it should drift back to their preferred way of operating.

Let’s consider a couple different answers.

I like to train and develop people. This can manifest a couple different ways. You could end up with a larger finance staff than you might need to have. If it makes sense for your finance head to be very hands-on, then a person who answered above will look to get someone else hired to take this off their hands. Another way this can play out is that she might hire weaker people that might need more training, so she gets to do more of what she wants to do. But then, what is falling through the cracks when all that extra time is spent training?

However, if your company is large enough, this could be just the people answer that you want to hear.

I like to crunch the numbers. This could signal potential people issues. He may not pass off enough to his staff and keep them from growing. The company could grow past this type of finance head at some point. His staff may feel neglected or he may have difficulty interfacing with the rest of his peer s in other areas.

Her e too, there is a right time and place. In a small enough company or in special circumstances like a turnaround, the numbers person may hit the spot.

I like to do deals (either acquisitions or financings). What about the current operations? Will she give them enough attention? What about implementing the deal after it is done?

Know what your finance head likes to do. Weigh it against what you need now or in the near future. What got you to where you are might not be what you need going forward. If there is a gap, consider if there is someone else on the staff that can counterbalance your finance head. If your finance leader likes to do deals, make sure there is someone on hand to watch the store, for example.